FOR STARTERSThe Friars play a two-game series at No. 4/4 Miami (Ohio) on Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20. It marks Providence’s first trip to Oxford since Oct. 22-23, 1999 when the RedHawks played in the Goggin Arena.

THE ROAD AHEADAfter a three-game road swing that concludes in Oxford, Ohio, the Friars return to Schneider Arena to close out the month of October with a pair of Hockey East games as they play host to Maine on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27. Both games will be televised on Cox Sports.

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MIAMIThe Friars and RedHawks have met six times dating back to their first meeting on Dec. 22, 1990, when Providence posted an 8-1 win at Goggin Arena. All-time, the Friars and RedHawks have played to an even 3-3-0 (.500) mark.

Last season, the teams met in the first game of the Denver Cup Classic at Magness Arena in Denver, Colo. on Nov. 11, 2011. Providence cut the Miami lead to 2-1 early in the second period, but the RedHawks scored the next three goals in the second period to pull away and eventually earn a 6-2 victory. Prior to that meeting in Denver, the teams had not played since the Friars posted a 5-0 win at Schneider Arena on Oct. 20, 2000.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKSLast weekend Miami swept Colgate, 3-0 and 5-1, and moved from No. 8 to No. 4 in the polls, making the RedHawks the highest ranked team in CCHA. Thirteen different players registered at least a point in the sweep of the Raiders and five different players scored in Saturday’s win. Sophomore Blake Coleman leads the team in scoring with four points on three goals and one assist.

Three of Miami’s goals have come on the power-play giving them a .300 conversion percent. After going 0-for-4 to open the season on the man advantage, the RedHawks power play came alive in game two of the Colgate series as it went 3-for-six in game two.

Two freshmen goaltenders made their collegiate debut between the pipes last weekend. Ryan McKay earned a shutout with 24 saves Friday night, while Jay Williams faced 21 shots and made 20 saves on Saturday.

GILLIES HONOREDHockey East announced on Monday. Oct. 15, that freshman goalie Jon Gillies was selected as the Hockey East Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Gillies made his collegiate debut for the Friars on Friday, Oct. 12 and stopped all 14 shots he faced in two periods of play in Providence’s 8-2 home-opening win over Sacred Heart. The following night, Gillies made 30 saves in Providence’s 4-2 loss at No. 12/14 Boston University, which scored its final goal on an empty net. On the weekend, Gillies posted a 1.80 goals against average, a .936 save percentage and made 44 saves.

LAMORIELLO ENSHRINEDFormer Providence College student-athlete, hockey coach, athletics director and current New Jersey Devils President/CEO/General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, Oct. 15, in a ceremony that was held at the Plaza of the Americas Atrium.

Lamoriello was joined in the 40th U.S. Hall of Fame class by former Dallas Stars player Mike Modano and former player/current television analyst Ed Olczyk. Steve Levy, longtime ESPN SportsCenter anchor and hockey broadcaster, served as master of ceremonies.

NEWCOMERS• The 2012-13 Friar roster features 12 freshmen, a red shirt freshman and senior captain Kyle Murphy, all of whom could play their first career games for the Friars this season. • Murphy, who practiced with the team throughout the 2011-12 season, notched his first career goal versus Sacred Heart in his return to college hockey - he previuosly played 17 games for Notre Dame in 2009-10. • Red shirt freshman Noel Acciari also saw his first action after sitting out last season, centering the fourth line in both of Providence’s games last weekend - he recorded an assist in the win over Sacred Heart. • Six freshmen made their Providence debuts in the win over Sacred Heart including (first career points): Mark Jankowski (2G), Steven McParland (1A), Paul de Jersey (1G, 1A), Kevin Rooney, John Gilmour (2A) and Jon Gillies (14 saves in 40:00 mins.). • Freshman Brandon Tanev then made his debut at Boston University.

NOTING THE WIN OVER SACRED HEART• Led by two goals from both Mark Jankowski and Stefan Demopoulos and a goal and two-assist showing from Ross Mauermann, the Friars downed Sacred Heart, 8-2, at Schneider Arena.• Freshman goalie Jon Gillies turned aside all 14 shots he faced in two periods of work to earn his first career win.• Providence scored eight goals for the first time since posting an 8-2 win at Bowling Green on Oct. 23, 2009.• Against Sacred Heart, the Friars put 59 shots on net, the highest Providence total since reaching 61 shots on goal in a 7-2 win over SHU on Oct. 11, 2003.• The Friars moved to 4-0 all-time versus the Pioneers and have outscored Sacred Heart 28-7 in the four meetings. • Mauermann set a career-high in points in a game with three (1 goal, 2 assists), while Demopoulos tied a career-high in goals in a game (2) and Shane Luke tied a career-high in points in a game (2).

FOR OPENERS• Providence is now 38-23-1 (.621) all-time in season openers, including four consecutive season-opening victories.• With their 8-2 win over Sacred Heart, the Friars improved to 38-24-0 (.613) all-time in home openers.• The Friars are 14-13-2 in Hockey East openers, including their loss at Boston University on Oct. 13.

HOCKEY EAST YOUNG GUNSFreshman forward Mark Jankowski, along with two other Hockey East skaters, are believed to be the three youngest players in college hockey this season. Jankowski - a first round pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft - was born in September of 1994. The only other younger players in Hockey East are Ryan Lomberg of Maine, who was born in December of 1994, and Brett Pesce of New Hampshire, who was born in November of 1994.

TEAM IMPACT: KEVIN RICH JOINS THE FRIARSOn Sept. 20, the Providence College men’s hockey team welcomed its newest team member, Kevin Rich, to the squad. Joining the Friars through Team IMPACT, Rich is a seven year old from Mansfield, Mass., who has battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia since being diagnosed at the age of four.• Kevin, along with his parents Cara and Walter, met his new teammates for the first time on that Thursday afternoon (Sept. 20) at Schneider Arena as part of Kevin’s official “draft” onto the team.• Friar captains Tim Schaller, Kyle Murphy and Myles Harvey presented Kevin with a customized Providence College hockey jersey to welcome him to the team.• Kevin has been fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which is the most common form of leukemia found in children and he was initially diagnosed in September of 2009.• Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization created to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening illnesses. The organization strives to harness the power of teamwork by matching courageous kids with college athletic teams across the Northeast.

MAKING DRAFT HISTORYFreshmen Mark Jankowski and Jon Gillies were selected in the 2012 NHL Draft which took place on June 22-23 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Jankowski was picked in the first round (21st overall) by the Calgary Flames and Gillies was taken in the third round (75th overall), also by Calgary.

Jankowski is the third Friar ever to be picked in the first round and the first since 1992 when Joe Hulbig was picked 13th overall. The other Friar to be selected in the first round was Tom Fitzgerald, who was picked 17th overall in 1986. Gillies was the first Providence goalie to be drafted since Bobby Goepfert was chosen in the sixth round (121st overall) by Pittsburgh in 2002.

SCHNEIDER ARENA RENOVATIONSBeginning in the fall of 2012, Schneider Arena will undergo extensive renovations that will include a 35,000 square foot addition, new locker rooms, a state of the art training facility and weight rooms, luxury boxes as well as new sound and video systems, a new ticket office, hall of fame and renovated coaches offices.

Schneider Arena originally opened in 1973 and was dedicated and named in memory of the late Reverend Herman D. Schneider, O.P., the founder of the Friars’ highly successful hockey program and a long-time member of the school’s faculty. Built at a cost of $1.8 million dollars in 1973, the Schneider Arena ice skating facility currently seats 3,030 comfortably for hockey games.

FAMILY TIESProvidence College seniors Chris Rooney (Canton, Mass.) and Alex Velischek (Kinnelon, N.J.) as well as junior Derek Army are sons of former Friar hockey greats. Rooney is the son of former Friar, Steve Rooney. Steve scored the game-winning goal as the Friars defeated Boston College, 2-1, in double overtime in the inaugural Hockey East championship game in 1985. Steve went on to play in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens team that claimed the 1986 Stanley Cup title. (Steve is also current Friar freshman Kevin Rooney’s uncle). Alex is the son of former Friar Randy Velischek, who was named ECAC Player of the year in 1982-83 and earned All-America honors. Randy, who helped the Friars to the 1981 ECAC championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances (1981, 1983), played 10 seasons in the NHL (509 games). Derek is the son of former PC standout and current assistant coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Tim Army. Tim ranks first all-time in games played (151) and sixth all-time in points (179) at Providence. He earned All-America honors as he helped the Friars capture the 1985 Hockey East Tournament title and guided the team to the NCAA Championship game.

FRIARS’ TELEVISION SCHEDULEThe men’s hockey team will appear on television at least 10 times during the 2012-13 regular-season. The Friars will play on national television at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10 when they take on Hockey East rival New Hampshire in a game that will be carried by CBS Sports Network (CBSSN). Providence’s game versus Boston University on Saturday, Jan. 26 will be televised by the New England Sports Network (NESN).

COX Sports (COX) also announced that it will provide exclusive local coverage of eight Providence College men’s hockey games during the 2012-13 season. Cox’s coverage kicks off with the Friars’ home-opening Hockey East series versus Maine on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27.

FRIAR NCAA DIV. I HEAD COACHING TREEOn Sept. 26, former Providence College First Team All-American Kurt Kleinendorst ’83 was named head coach of the men’s ice hockey team at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. A finalist for the 1983 Hobey Baker Award, Kleinendorst ranks fifth all-time at Providence in career points with 89 goals and 103 assists. He helped Providence to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and was the team’s leading scorer as a junior and senior. He joins Rick Bennett ‘90 as alums who hold head coaching positions at NCAA Div. I schools. Bennett enters his second season behind the bench at Union College, where he replaced the departed Nate Leaman prior to last season.

NOTING THE 2011-12 SEASON• The Friars finished the 2011-12 season with a 14-20-4 overall record and a 10-14-3 mark in Hockey East play, good for seventh place.• Providence defeated No. 7 UMass Lowell in a best-of-three Hockey East Quarterfinal series and became the first No. 7 seed to win a Hockey East Quarterfinal series in the 28-year history of the league.• The Friars advanced to the Hockey East semifinals for the first time since 2001. • Providence’s 14 overall wins surpassed the 2010-11 total (eight) and its 10 Hockey East triumphs were more than the previous two seasons combined (nine). The 14 wins also were the most since the 2007-08 team had 14 victories.• The Friars were ranked in the USCHO.com national poll for the first time since 2008.• Providence recorded seven wins against nationally ranked teams, including five victories against squads in the top-10.• The Friars swept No. 1 Merrimack in a home-and-home series. The 2-1 overtime win on Dec. 2 was PC’s first over a No. 1 team since 2003. It also marked the Friars’ first overtime triumph since 2008.• Providence’s win at No. 1 Merrimack on Dec. 3 was its first Hockey East road victory since Oct. 31, 2009.• Providence exceeded its 2010-11 season goal total of 75 goals, with 94 goals in 2011-12.• The Friars scored 26 power-play goals in the 2011-12 season, the most since the 2005-06 team (35).• The Friars finished the season ranked fifth in the country with eight short-handed goals, the most short-handed goals since 2007-08.• Providence earned its first ever road win in a Hockey Easy playoff game-three against UMass Lowell on March 11.• Ross Mauermann was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, becoming the first Friar to earn the honor since 2007.• Mauermann led the team with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists), while Tim Schaller was tops on the team with 14 goals.• In goal, then senior Alex Beaudry played in 37 of 38 games. He set Providence College records for career saves (3,158) and games played (117). He also tied the PC single season record with three shutouts, including a 1-0 shutout in game three of the Hockey East Quarterfinals against UMass Lowell.